State submits K-12 and two-year school budget proposals

By Dana BeyerleMontgomery Bureau Chief

Friday

Dec 14, 2012 at 12:01 AM

MONTGOMERY | The state school board on Thursday approved a proposed two-year college system budget that will be submitted to the Legislature when it considers education funding for the next fiscal year.

MONTGOMERY | The state school board on Thursday approved a proposed two-year college system budget that will be submitted to the Legislature when it considers education funding for the next fiscal year.The proposed budget of $408.2 million for fiscal 2013-14 represents a 29 percent increase over this year’s appropriations to community and technical colleges, the Alabama Technology Network, Marion Military Institute and the Department of Postsecondary Education.Mark Heinrich, chancellor of the two-year college system, said the proposed budget has been seen by legislative budget writers. He said two-year colleges are an important part of Alabama’s education community, which also includes K-12 schools and four-year universities.“We really built the budgets around workforce development plans,” he said. “We feel we play a huge role in that ... and we can address it with property funding.”The budget request also includes $57.4 million for capital and $10.3 million for deferred maintenance.State school Superintendent Tommy Bice on Nov. 8 proposed a K-12 budget of $4.1 billion, a $416 million increase over this year’s appropriation of $3.7 billion.Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, said the Education Trust Fund may have more than $400 million in new funding for next fiscal year, but there are obligations that could eat into that amount.Pittman said legislative budget writers want to repay at least half of a remaining $423 million debt obligation to the Alabama Trust Fund rainy-day account. The Legislature has two years remaining to repay the amount.Pre-session budget meetings will begin in January. The 2013 legislative session begins in February and the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

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